In the news: should employers show interview questions in advance?

Anxiety, nervousness, racing thoughts – if you’ve ever taken part in a job interview, you’ll be all too familiar with these feelings. Perhaps you’ve even found yourself wishing you had more time to prepare for the meeting, or that a crystal ball or magic potion could tell you what questions the interviewers might ask. Though these enchantments unfortunately lay beyond the realms of reality, some organisations are demystifying the hiring process in their own way: by giving candidates the opportunity to review the questions ahead of time.

John Lewis and Waitrose recently made headlines for this exact reason. The UK heritage brands have published the interview questions for all job roles and seniority levels – from store workers to managing directors – on their website, in a move towards making the hiring process fairer for all.

While these certainly aren’t the first employers to take this approach, it’s definitely not something that is seen as standard practice across the recruitment landscape. In a recent LinkedIn poll, we asked professionals if they had ever been given interview questions in advance, with just 15% saying they had, and when it came to employers, 75% said they never share this information with applicants. Interestingly, though, we also asked our audience if seeing interview questions ahead of time would make them more or less likely to apply for a job – and 66% said it would encourage them.

Here, we look at some of the benefits of this transparency for both jobseekers and organisations, while also considering some of the potential issues.

What are the benefits of sharing interview questions with candidates?

• Reduces stress and anxiety for interviewees

Having visibility of the interview questions in advance could help to reduce the amount of stress, anxiety or nerves an individual may feel before and during an interview. This means they may be more able to think critically, better explain their experiences and skillset, and more clearly demonstrate their strengths and understanding of the role, rather than worrying about being caught off-guard. 

• Helps to level the playing field

Preparing answers in advance could be beneficial to neurodiverse candidates, who may struggle with processing information quickly or adapting to new social situations – however it’s important to remember that everyone is different. It could also be useful for professionals who are non-native English speakers, for example, as they’ll have more time to look over the questions and prepare their responses. 

• Can result in more meaningful answers

Instead of panicking and saying the first thing that springs to mind, candidates are more likely to be able to properly explain themselves and even apply the STAR technique to their answers: Situation, Task, Action and Result. This can help employers to make decisions based on someone’s experience and ability, rather than judging them on how quickly they can answer a question. This could be particularly beneficial to introverted individuals or those who experience social anxiety, as it takes a skills-based hiring approach: focusing on those who have the right skillset for a job, rather than the ability to perform.

• Shows candidates that you care

It’s becoming increasingly important for organisations to demonstrate their Employee Value Proposition (EVP) to potential new recruits, and sharing interview questions in advance could be one way to showcase this from the outset, as employers will seem more empathetic and caring in regards to the candidate experience. 

What are the concerns about this practice?

Despite the multitude of benefits above, there are some potential pitfalls that organisations fear they may come up against if they publish or share their interview questions in advance. Firstly, there are concerns that this approach may lead candidates to over-rehearse so they sound “perfect”, which wouldn’t give hiring managers an accurate picture of how an individual responds when under pressure or put on the spot. 

Secondly, providing candidates with these questions ahead of time also opens up the possibility of them consulting with someone else when preparing their answers. For example, an individual may not understand a question, and could potentially ask a senior colleague, friend or industry expert to help them craft a response, or perhaps even use artificial intelligence (AI) tools, like ChatGPT, to convincingly word something that they actually don’t have experience of. 

What do the experts think?

Here at Hays, we’re committed to doing the right thing. We recently partnered with FAIRER Consulting, the global inclusion company, which is dedicated to helping organisations improve their diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) practices. 

Dan Robertson, Managing Director of FAIRER Consulting, said: “Employers should always be transparent with jobseekers about what their application process entails, by sharing details such as what the structure will look like and how long they expect the process to be. Providing applicants with specific interview questions in advance adds another layer to this. 

“Positively, knowing the questions beforehand gives people the opportunity to prepare and to utilise their organisation and planning skills and therefore respond with well-thought-out answers. Rather than creating a nerve-wracking experience and catching applicants off guard, it gives them the chance to present the best version of themselves, so they can let their skills and potential shine through. 

“It is certainly an effective way of supporting neurodiverse jobseekers to be on a level playing field with other applicants. Employers who don’t adapt their application process to support a diverse talent pool not only disadvantage a wide range of applicants, but also risk losing out on top tier talent.”

Learn more about our work with FAIRER Consulting.